Dying Love
by BraceYourself
Summary: Gabriella and Troy have got the lead roles in the Winter Musical of 2006, as well as what seems to be an unseparable relationship. But what happens when Gabriella's feelings about doing the play seem to die down?
1. Chapter 1: An Unwelcome Disruption

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the High School Musical characters.**

**A/N: Hey everyone. This is my first ever fanfic, so if you don't like it, don't be mean, because I just started. I really hope you do like it though. Enjoy reading it!**

**An Unwelcome Disruption**

Gabriella and I walked down the hallway, hand-in-hand, with huge smiles on our faces. It was just all too good to be true – our team had just won the championship, Gabriella had won the Decathlon, and the two of us had become the stars of a real musical play – all in a matter of one day; yesterday. It was amazing, but probably the best part of all, was being with Gabriella, and having a girlfriend as great as her. She had it all – the looks, the personality, the talent. She was all I could've hoped for; and she was mine.

We entered the drama room together. It was our first meeting after the final auditions. There were so many other people in the room; Ms. Darbus; the artistic director, Kelsi Nielsen; the musical director, Gavin Richardson; the choreographer, and the rest of the cast and crew. We took our seats in the two desks beside each other, excited and restless. We saw Sharpay and Ryan, a few seats in front of us. They looked as eager as us to get this started, even though we had beaten them out for the leads.

"Can you believe this is actually happening?" said Gabriella, while happily grinning. I shook my head, grinning as well.

Both of us had never done something like this before. It had always been basketball for me, and…"smart stuff" for her. This was fresh, and different, and it was mostly because of each other. None of us would really have thought to get involved in a musical before we had met at that New Years Eve party a while back, and sang together in front of many people for the first time. Now look at us. This was great; this was the start of something new.

After a few minutes of unbearable waiting, Ms. Darbus finally set her coffee mug down, and arose from her comfy seat.

"Welcome all! If you are present in this room today, you have been chosen to take part in a wonderful experience that you will take with you for the rest of your lives." I caught a glimpse of Sharpay wearing her sense-of-accomplishment smile that she usually had on. "Consider yourselves more than lucky that you are able to become involved in such a marvelous work of art. In fact, consider yourselves admirable, brilliant, superb…"

Suddenly, a catchy toon went off, breaking Ms. Darbus' deep descriptions.

Uh-Oh.

"Ahh…the cell-phone menace!" She said, in a calm, but angrily sort of way.

Everybody knew better than to check if it was their phone that had went off. Of course, I knew it was my phone, and Gabriella knew too, but I wouldn't want anyone _else_ to know that, especially Ms. Darbus.

"Whose cell phone was that?" She said, trying to maintain a fake smile.

No answer…of course. As the soft song continued, the situation got more tense.

"Whose cell phone was that!" Now that smile had disappeared, instead there was pure anger on her face.

I stood there, looking dumbfounded.

The ringing finally stopped, and I was filled with a sense of relief. Ms. Darbus looked irritated, and I could see why. Cell phones in class were very disruptive, although when it is _your _phone ringing, you usually tend to think otherwise.

"You got away with it this time, but if I EVER hear another cell-phone interrupting us again, I'll figure out who it belongs to, and that person can _consider_ themselves out of this production."

I felt quite guilty for putting everyone in jeopardy, but I didn't want anything to hurt my changes of being in this musical with Gabriella. I looked at her, and she gave me a look that said "that was a close one".

I wondered who would've called me. Basketball season was over, so it probably wasn't my dad. Chad and the rest of my friends knew I had this meeting today. Mom was away in Mexico, having the time of her life. Oh well. I shrugged off the thought and paid attention to what Darbus had to say.

"As I was saying before being so rudely disturbed, you have been put in this musical for a reason, and that reason is because I think you have the right attitude and knack. You are what the theatre is looking for, and there are two thousand students out there who are looking for a good show at the end of March, so I say we get started!" Sharpay stood up and started clapping for Ms. Darbus, trying to win her over with flattery. It looked like it was working, as she smiled in spite of herself.

The next hour was spent going over what everyone was responsible for doing in the production. My spirits rose when Ms. Darbus said "Our two leads, Minnie and Arnold, will be played by Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton." Gabriella smiled her usual girly smile that won me over every time. I mean how could you not love her smile? It was so alive, so real, and so beautiful, just like the rest of her. This was going to be great. I was starring in a school production with the most amazing person in the world.


	2. Chapter 2: A Misunderstanding

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the High School Musical characters.**

**A/N: Hey again. Thanks to those that reviewed, you made me feel real good, considering this is my first story. Here is chapter two, hope you guys like it. Enjoy!**

**Misunderstanding**

"So, how was the _meeting_?" said Chad the next morning. We were waiting outside the main doors for the bell to ring, which would start Period One. "The _meeting _was fine." It had actually been great. Just being in that room with all those people, knowing we were all there for one purpose. "Well, when you were at the _meeting_, Jason and I shot some hoops for about an hour. A lot more interesting if you ask me, and YOU could've joined us…but instead, you went to that _meeting_." I sighed to myself. Sometimes it felt like my friends just didn't understand me at times. Even Chad, my best friend since like grade three, just didn't get how badly I wanted to be a part of this play.

"Listen Chad, you know I would've shot hoops with you, but…"

"I know. I know. You couldn't miss this _meeting_." He said it as if I had told him a thousand times; which I probably had.

"Well…yeah…but not just this meeting…all of them. I can't miss any of them." I don't think Chad had quite understood what I said. "All of the meetings, rehearsals…they're just as important. If I miss any of them, that would just prove that I wasn't committed, and I want to do this so bad." Chad just starred at me.

Suddenly, the school bell rang, startling us. Chad got up and left, without saying one of his catchy phrases, such as "Catcha later!" I got the feeling he was mad, or confused, or something. But oh well, I wasn't going to let that lower my spirits. However, I probably should've told him that there were no _meetings _today, so we could probably do something together.

"Guess who!" A friendly voice came from behind me, and two warm hands were placed over my eyes. There was only one person that plays that childish game with me. I turned around to see Gabriella with a smile from ear to ear. I lifted her up into a hug, her cute giggles filling the air. "Hey!" I said happily. She always put me in a happy mood, no matter what else was on my mind. "Heyyyy!" Came her girly reply. "Listen; since there are no drama meetings today after school, I was thinking we could hang out or something. I mean, since we're going to be pretty busy after this week with rehearsals and such, it might be our last chance to hang out for awhile." In my head, I was thinking, _we'll see each other at every rehearsal we have_, but knowing Gabriella, that just wasn't enough.

"Well…you see…I was kind of thinking I would hang out with Chad and the guys today." I felt bad saying that, but what can I do. It was Chad that I wouldn't be able to see as much, not her, and I couldn't satisfy everyone. I saw a faint, hurt look cover her face. "Oh…okay then." She was purposely trying to make me feel bad, so I quickly came up with something that would hopefully cheer her up. "How about this weekend?" I said, as cheery as I could. She smiled, which is all I could've hoped for. "Promise…?" she said. I nodded. "Promise." "Okay, now let's get to class before we're late." We probably already were. I had this bad habit of procrastinating in the halls before class started, and it usually came back and slapped me in the face eventually. We walked together, hand in hand, to our first class of the day. Gabriella looked worried as hell, I'm guessing she was afraid of Ms. Darbus' reaction when we stumbled into class late. But she still looked brilliant. She would understand that I couldn't do anything after school with her, because she understands me. My friends might not at times, but she definitely could. It truly made me happy to know that there was always someone that was there for me.

We walked into class, about five minutes after we were supposed to. Ms. Darbus was about to say something to us, but instead, she just sighed and carried on with writing whatever she was writing on the board. Gabriella sighed very loudly in relief. She was more used to arriving on time, if not, then earlier than everyone else. Maybe I was a bad influence on her, I thought jokingly to myself, but even if that was the case, it didn't matter, because we were together, and nothing, NOTHING could change that.

"So, Chad, I was wondering if we could hang out after school today" I said to him after class. "Don't you have some sort of _meeting_ to attend?" Wow, he really liked to put emphasis on the word 'meeting', and it sorta bothered me. "No…if I did have one, I wouldn't have asked you". Maybe I shouldn't have said that; sounded a bit harsh. Chad shrugged. "I guess so." He walked the opposite way, leaving me there thinking, _It's going to be a long two months of rehearsal. _He was mad, and I could tell, having been his best friend for so long. I guess he still thinks of me as just 'the basketball guy', what about the part of me that wants to take part in acting? Why can't I be more than just 'the basketball guy'?

I walked to my locker. "Something wrong, Troy?" Gabriella always knew where to find me, and that was a good thing of course. Especially at a time like this, because she always knows how to cheer me up. "Well, it's just…Chad, he doesn't understand me at times." I said. "He's your best friend, shouldn't he understand you?" I sort of shrugged. "I guess so. I mean, it's just that, he doesn't get how badly I want to do this. He doesn't take it seriously, and it bothers me. I know you take it seriously." She giggled, and my heart felt about ten pounds lighter. "If I didn't take it seriously, would I be dedicating the next two months of my life working by your side?" I smiled. Yes, she definitely knew how to cheer me up. It was wonderful knowing that even if Chad didn't understand, someone did. It made me so happy. I'll stop worrying about what Chad thinks, at least there is one person that knew how I felt, and she's going to be there right next to me the whole way.

**Well, there you have it. I don't think it's as good as I could have made it, but maybe you guys will think otherwise. Please review even if you don't like it, any suggestions would help make it better. Thanks!**


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